The Sports Type
by BlackLabCoat
Summary: Four times Leonard exercised because of Penny (and one he didn't). One-shot. Timeline: around season 4.


**The Sports Type**

or

**Four Times Leonard Exercised Because of Penny (And One He Didn't)**

**(Running)**

Leonard had come all the way from the grocery shop thinking about it. Maybe if he were more like the sports type, like the type of guy Penny usually dated, maybe things could have worked out between them. He was as active as a motion activated lamp, doing just the absolute least while still guaranteeing functionality. (And he didn't give all that much light, really.)

He was having a hard enough time going through the door (with all the grocery bags and unpleasant thoughts), when someone pushed it open from him.

"Um, thank you," he mumbled.

"No problem, dude." Oddly enough, the stranger followed him inside. He looked at the tape covered elevator door, with an expression that read, very clearly, bummed out. "This thing broken?"

No, we just enjoy torturing ourselves every day. "Yeah."

"Damn. Four floors is a lot to climb up."

Four floors? It took Leonard a split second more to make that synapse than anyone with an IQ of 173 should have made instantly.

"Yes, yes it is." And then, with an only semi-polite nod, he launched himself up the staircase, running up as fast as he could. It was one of those childish notions, the magical thinking which makes you believe that if you get your whole body under the covers, no monster can eat you. He finally stopped in front of 4A, gasping for sweet air, and with a loaf of bread and a couple of oranges less. But at least he didn't have to look at the guy's face anymore.

(He gave out light like a wild-fire.)

As he was trying to reach for his keys, Penny came out of her apartment, looking positively stunning. (Her own light, it was like sunshine.)

"Leonard! What happened? You look…" She cocked her head, "…winded."

"Oh, nothing." He did his best to open the door without dropping anything else and making a fool of himself. (Further.) "Have a nice date!"

He didn't stay outside long enough to see her puzzled look.

**(Boxing)**

"Why would you invite Penny over today?"

"Well, Leonard, I do believe it's quite obvious," Sheldon stated, rather nonchalantly. "Raj was unable to come and I needed a partner, as much of an insufficient one Penny is. Or were you expecting to gang up on me with Priya? That would be extremely-"

"Oh, alright, shush." He ignored Sheldon's frown, leaning towards his closed bedroom door and listening to the sound of female laughter coming from behind it. "I just expected you to have thought it could get a little awkward."

"Why on Earth would I think that?" He adopted his usual condescending tone. "Unless you're trying to tell me you still have romantic feelings for-"

"What romantic feelings? Who said anything about romantic feelings?"

Sheldon shook his head no, knowingly. "Leonard, we both know you only interrupt me this much when the conversation topic makes you nervous."

"That's not true."

"No? Well, then I guess this is a proper time as ever to discuss Mother's Day present options for-"

"Let's just go."

Leonard could practically hear Sheldon gloating behind him on the way to the living room. He swallowed a lump in his throat when he saw Penny and Priya on the couch, next to each other.

"Honey, how does Wii Sports sound?"

"Well, ask Sheldon," Leonard advised, sitting on his own on the armchair.

"I'm perfectly alright. In fact, it's what I had intended to play tonight."

"See, told ya!" Penny gloated, while Sheldon set up the game. "Now I can show Priya my mad boxing skills!"

"I don't know if I can risk it…" the other woman said, jokingly. "Leonard, maybe you should go first."

It's all so innocent, so playful, that Leonard can't quite grasp why in the world he would feel so uncomfortable. Because he does. And it doesn't help in the least that Penny's knuckles are white around the Wii remote, and that she's got her game face on.

(Her game face is incredibly attractive.)

"Come on, Leonard. Let's have it."

He even breaks a sweat, but she still manages to win. (The game they're playing, he can never win.)

**(Weight lifting)**

"Leonard!"

At first he thinks he's hearing things.

"Help! Leonard!"

"Penny?"

The door to 4B is closed when he gets to it, but before Leonard gets the chance to knock, he hears his name called out again – it came from the stairs. He turned back, still unaware of what was going on, except that Penny was calling out for his help. (Turns out, not so funny when it's out of a video game.)

When he finally found her, she was on the bottom of the flight of stairs that led to their floor, leaning back against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her. (Her very, very long legs.) His eyes followed them down to her right ankle, which was red and swollen.

"What happened?" he felt the need to ask, even if it was more than obvious.

"I tripped… and… my heel…"

(Why women subjected themselves to the kind of footwear Penny was wearing, he would never know.)

"…and it hurts."

"Penny? Did you hit your head?"

She brought her hand up to it, probably to check. Her loud groan confirmed his theory.

"Come on, we need to get you to the hospital."

He tried to help her get up, undoubtedly failing. Penny was being completely uncooperative, in addition to being wimpy. He felt something in his chest tighten – how long had she been lying there, exactly? What if she had a concussion?

Leonard resigned to the evidence, and did his best to pick her up.

"Will you just stay still?"

Her only response was to lean into his chest and try to steady herself by grabbing his face. Thankfully, he had parked his car very close to the front door, and managed to almost drop her only once.

**(Cardio)**

"I brought fruitcake," Penny announced, shaking a bag lightly in front of him. "Lactose free!"

"How nice, but… what's the occasion?"

She merely shrugged, letting herself in. "Where's Sheldon?"

Leonard blinked. Twice.

"He went to that symposium with Raj tonight… you know that."

"Oh?" There was something she wasn't saying, and he wasn't getting it. He definitely wasn't getting it, and he didn't even know if he was supposed to. "Even better," she continued, "then we have the whole house to ourselves."

She smiled her prettiest smile, and Leonard's stomach did something courageous in his gut.

"We can sit wherever we want! Come Leonard, it's calling for you!" She patted Sheldon's spot, beside her.

"Oh, alright."

And they were so close, so close that she couldn't eat cake without letting crumbs fall in his lap, and that he couldn't stretch his legs without barely intertwining them with hers, and smelling her perfume, and it was positively driving Leonard crazy.

(Crazier than Sheldon would be when he saw the crumbs.)

When the movie they settled on ended, and Penny's head was resting against his shoulder, Leonard finally dragged the courage out of his stomach and into his brain.

"Why did you come here tonight?"

She didn't look up. "Does there have to be a reason?"

"Yes."

"I guess I wanted to thank you for taking me to the hospital."

"You had already thanked me."

"And you seemed a little down, because of your breakup…"

"I've been… a little down," he repeated, leaning away from her, "for weeks. If anything, I'm better now. Where were you a month ago?"

"Ugh… You're so thick." She leaned away herself.

"Will you just tell me what you came here to tell me?"

The look in her eyes went from a defensive innocence to challenging determination. Leonard swallowed dryly.

"Ok."

And she kissed him. It was so sudden he didn't have time to react before she pulled back.

"That's what I-"

He wasn't even listening – heck, he wasn't even thinking – but he couldn't not kiss her. Not after she started it. Before either of them knew it they were lying in the couch, feeling each other's familiar heat in between kisses.

"So, are you better now?" Penny asked, against his lips.

"I think my mood could still be improved…"

"Let's see if I can do something about that."

(As much as his spot felt odd the next day, Sheldon would've much appreciated to know that's when they moved to the bedroom.)

**(Running – again)**

"Hmgh…" Penny's groan makes him smile.

"Good morning."

"What are you doing?" – is her way of greeting him back. (And it's the best he's been greeted in ages.)

"I'm getting dressed."

"Well, thank you, Captain Obvious. Why?"

"I'm going jogging with Raj."

He can barely finish putting his second sock on, before he feels an unnaturally strong tug in his t-shirt.

"No," Penny lets out, softly.

He turns back to face her, about to ask why himself. Her eyes are closed, lips puckered and some of his t-shirt bunched in her little fist.

"Stay."

(The workout isn't really that important to him – he's never been the sports type.) So he does.

* * *

Wrote this a while ago, hope you enjoyed it! - Bee


End file.
